Removable straw brim for hard hat

ABSTRACT

A removable straw brim for a hard hat. The hard hat has a crown and brim. The removable straw brim is crownless and has center opening. An elastic center fabric band is sewn into the center opening and forms a center fabric band opening. A brim pocket is sewn to the bottom side of the straw hat brim. A plurality of elastic retention straps is also sewn to the bottom side of the straw hat brim. A hard hat is secured to the removable straw hat brim when the hard hat crown is inserted into the center fabric band opening and the center fabric band squeezes tightly around said crown, when the hard hat brim is inserted into the hard hat brim pocket, and when the elastic retention straps are wrapped around the hard hat.

The present invention relates to hats, and in particular, to brims forhats.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hard hats are well known and are worn in a variety of circumstances.Construction workers, road workers, ship workers and many other types ofworkers wear hard hats for safety purposes. FIG. 1 shows a typical priorart hard hat 10.

Workers are very concerned about their health and unnecessary exposureto the sun. Unfortunately, hard hat 10 has a very small brim 11. It onlyoffers very minimal protection from the sun.

Some workers, in a desperate effort to protect themselves from the sun,have obtained a straw hat and cut out the crown so that only the brim ofthe straw hat remains. The worker has then inserted the crown of thehard hat into the center of the brim in an effort to create a hat thatoffers greater sun protection. There are problems with this solution.For example, the brim is very unstable and can easily fall off the hardhat. Or, once the straw hat has been cut, the straw brim can easilybecome torn or frayed and fall apart after a short time.

What is needed is a better removable straw brim for a hard hat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a removable straw brim for a hard hat.The hard hat has a crown and brim. The removable straw brim is crownlessand has center opening. An elastic center fabric band is sewn into thecenter opening and forms a center fabric band opening. A brim pocket issewn to the bottom side of the straw hat brim. A plurality of elasticretention straps is also sewn to the bottom side of the straw hat brim.A hard hat is secured to the removable straw hat brim when the hard hatcrown is inserted into the center fabric band opening and the centerfabric band squeezes tightly around the crown, when the hard hat brim isinserted into the hard hat brim pocket, and when the elastic retentionstraps are wrapped around the hard hat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a prior art hard hat.

FIG. 2 shows the top side of a preferred removable straw brim.

FIG. 3 shows the bottom side of a preferred removable straw brim.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a hard hat secured to a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of a hard hat secured to a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 2 shows a top view of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention. Straw brim 20 includes upper straw surface 22. Straw brim 20is crownless. Instead, elastic center fabric band 24 extends partiallyacross the center of straw brim 20, as shown. In a preferred embodiment,elastic center fabric band 24 is formed by sewing an elastic band intofabric as shown. The center of straw brim 20 is open to receive hard hat10 (FIG. 1).

FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of straw brim 20. In the preferred embodimentshown the bottom of straw brim 20 is covered by fabric layer 26. Pockets28 and 32 are preferably sewn to the top and bottom of straw brim 20 asshown. Elastic retention straps 34 are sewn to the bottom of straw brim20 adjacent elastic center fabric band 24. Preferably elastic retentionstraps 34 each include hook and loop fasteners 36, as shown.

Attaching the Removable Straw Brim to the Hard Hat FIG. 4 shows aperspective view of removable straw brim 20 attached to hard hat 10. Asshown in FIG. 4, hard hat 10 has been pushed up through the center ofstraw brim 20. Elastic center fabric band 24 squeezes tightly onto hardhat 10 to help hold straw brim 20 in place. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 4, neck flap 35 is sewn to the bottom of straw brim 20 and extendsdownward from the bottom of straw brim 20 to help protect the wearer'sneck from sun exposure.

FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of straw brim 20 attached to hard hat 10.Brim 11 (FIG. 1) of hard hat 10 is tucked into pocket 28. Elasticretention straps 34 are wrapped around the rear portion of hard hat 10and pulled tight to secure straw brim 20 to hard hat 10. Hook and loopfasteners 36 (FIG. 3) are used to secure elastic retention straps asshown. Pocket 32 may be utilized for receiving hard hats that haverearward facing brims.

Although the above-preferred embodiments have been described withspecificity, persons skilled in this art will recognize that manychanges to the specific embodiments disclosed above could be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, theattached claims and their legal equivalents should determine the scopeof the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A removable straw brim for a hard hat having ahard hat crown and a hard hat brim, comprising: A. a crownless strawbrim comprising a center opening, a straw brim top side and a straw brimbottom side, B. an elastic center fabric band sewn into said centeropening and comprising a center fabric band opening, C. at least onebrim pocket sewn to said straw brim bottom side and for receiving saidhard hat brim, and D. a plurality of elastic retention straps sewn tosaid straw brim bottom side and for wrapping around said hard hat,wherein said hard hat is secured to said straw hat brim when said hardhat crown is inserted into said center fabric band opening and saidcenter fabric band squeezes tightly around said crown, when said hardhat brim is inserted into said hard hat brim pocket, and when saidplurality of elastic retention straps are wrapped around said hard hat.2. The removable straw brim as in claim 1, further comprising a fabricbottom cover sewn to the bottom surface of said straw brim.
 3. Theremovable straw brim as in claim 1, wherein said at least one brimpocket is two brim pockets.
 4. The removable straw brim as in claim 1wherein said plurality of elastic retention straps each comprise a hookand loop fastener.
 5. The removable straw brim as in claim 1 whereinsaid plurality of elastic retention straps is two elastic retentionstraps.
 6. A method for attaching a removable straw brim for a hard hathaving a hard hat crown and a hard hat brim, comprising the steps of: A.acquiring a removable straw brim, comprising: i. a crownless straw brimcomprising a center opening, a straw brim top side and a straw brimbottom side, ii. an elastic center fabric band sewn into said centeropening and comprising a center fabric band opening, iii. at least onebrim pocket sewn to said straw brim bottom side and for receiving saidhard hat brim, and iv. a plurality of elastic retention straps forwrapping around said hard hat, B. inserting said hat brim crown intosaid center fabric band opening so that said center fabric band squeezestightly around said hard hat crown, C. inserting said hard hat brim intosaid hard hat brim pocket, and D. wrapping said plurality or retentionstraps around said hard hat.
 7. The method as in claim 6, wherein saidremovable straw brim further comprises a fabric bottom cover sewn to thebottom surface of said straw brim.
 8. The method as in claim 6, whereinsaid at least one brim pocket is two brim pockets.
 9. The method as inclaim 6, wherein said plurality of elastic retention straps eachcomprise a hook and loop fastener.
 10. The method as in claim 6, whereinsaid plurality of elastic retention straps is two elastic retentionstraps.